Air flow through carbon nanotube arrays

作者：Hu Ming^*; Shenogin Sergei; Keblinski Pawel; Raravikar Nachiket

来源：Applied Physics Letters, 2007, 91(13): 131905.

DOI：10.1063/1.2793174

Using molecular dynamics simulations, we studied the air flow through carbon nanotube arrays. We found that for 1.4 nm diameter tubes separated by 25 nm, the air flow can be well described by the free molecular flow theory. We estimate that for such array, the pressure gradient is about 0.1 atm/mu m at 1 atm air pressure and 5 m/s flow velocity, indicating that the flowing air can only pass through an array of no more than about 400 carbon nanotubes in series. Our findings provide design rules for arrays of nanotubes for thermal energy exchange with air.

• 出版日期2007-9-24